nonStatistics in the 2008 World Leasing Yearbook showed that China’s leasing volume was only US$5.35 billion for the year 2006, lagging far behind that of other high-GDP countries. However, leasing in China did experience extraordinary high growth rates over the past few years and seems to have ample room for growth in the future.
As we know, each industry has its own set of critical success factors (CSFs) and a match between these factors and a firm’s strengths may ensure the firm’s successful performance. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to explore CSFs for leasing in China and explain the major influences behind these factors. This research is analyzed based on the PEST analysis framework and Porter’s five forces model. The CSFs identified in this study can provide guidelines to develop leasing in China as well as for those planning to enter China’s leasing market.
Based on the findings, the business environment for leasing in China, though better than it has ever been, still leaves much to be desired. For leasing to further develop, the following CSFs must be handled with care: Public awareness and understanding; An enabling legal framework; Credit risk management capabilities; Diversified funding sources; Qualified and well-trained staff; A vibrant second-hand equipment market, and Information technology infrastructure and know-how.
The identified CSFs also lead to several strong policy recommendations. Among these are the following: Embarking on campaigns promoting leasing; Passing the Financial Leasing Law as soon as possible; Removing tax disincentives to leasing; Establishing a national credit information center; Providing funding support and credit guarantee schemes in favor of SME leasing; and Strengthening information technology infrastructure. Without improvement of these critical elements, the outlook for China’s leasing sector may not be so promising after all.